“Mixed-reality” typically refers to augmented reality where virtual objects are visually placed within the real-world. In contrast, “virtual reality” typically refers to immersive virtual experiences where a user's view of the real-world is completely obscured and only virtual objects are perceived. However, for the sake of clarity and simplicity, the terms mixed reality, virtual reality and augmented reality are used interchangeably herein.
Mixed reality systems are typically configured as head mounted displays that generate and/or render the mixed reality content. Continued advances in hardware capabilities and rendering technologies have greatly increased the realism of virtual objects and scenes displayed to a user within mixed reality environments. For example, virtual objects can be placed within a mixed reality environment in such a way as to give the impression that the virtual object is part of the real world.
Some mixed reality systems have been configured to replicate a user's body parts within the mixed reality, such that the user is able to view and control virtualized body parts within the mixed reality environment. For instance, a user's hand can be presented as a hologram occlusion that moves within the mixed reality environment in direct response to the movements of their own real world hand. As the user moves their real world hand, the hand occlusion is also moved, such that it is capable of interacting with other virtual objects within the mixed reality environment.
As the user moves their head mounted display, thereby changing their perspective, the mixed reality environment automatically updates the displayed content so that the user is provided with the proper perspective and view of the virtual objects, including their hand occlusions, within the mixed reality environment.
Adjusting a user's perspective of a virtual object or scene can be computationally expensive and is associated with many difficulties that extend beyond simply updating the user's perspective of the virtual object. For example, depending upon lighting with the real world, the virtual object may be associated with different shading and specular effects from different perspectives. Similarly, depending upon the user's distance from the virtual object, the user's focal point and depth of focus may also change. Other difficulties are also associated with rendering mapped virtualizations of real world objects, such as hand occlusions, due to the increased requirements for processing the camera and mapping operations.
The foregoing problems can be particularly pronounced when virtual objects are moved within the mixed reality environment, and even more particularly when they are moved very quickly. For instance, a lag is sometimes experienced in the rendering of virtual objects as they are moved within the mixed reality environment, due to the computational burden associated with rendering of the virtual object at many different positions within such a short period of time. This can be particularly troublesome when the virtual object is a hand occlusion that is mapped to a user's own hand and the virtual hand movements lag behind the user's actual hand movements. In these situations, the user can become somewhat disoriented.
Accordingly, there is an ongoing need in the field of mixed reality for providing improved rendering techniques, particularly when animating hand occlusions.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.